Month: May 2014

Freshman forward Brendan Collier and redshirt sophomore defenseman J.D. Carrabino have been cut from the Boston University men’s hockey team, a team source confirmed with the Boston Hockey Blog.

BU head coach David Quinn told The Daily Free Press on April 24 he would cut an unspecified number of returning players prior to the start of the 2014-15 season. The NCAA has no limit on how many players can be on a hockey roster, but things were getting a bit crowded in the Terrier locker room — with a large incoming recruit class, including the announcement of the addition of defenseman Brandon Fortunato on Tuesday, the roster would have been at 31 players.

“One of the things I have told every guy is that I base guys’ opportunities here based on, ‘Can you help us win national championships?’” Quinn said on April 24. “Not just athletically, but socially and academically. It’s a three-part equation. When there is a coaching change, that is where those decisions come in.

“This is everybody’s first taste of hockey where you either get it done or you don’t and you don’t survive. That’s the hard part of the job, that’s the hard part of transition and that’s the hard part of change. Unfortunately there will be some changes.”

Collier, a seventh-round pick (189th overall) for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2012 NHL Draft, appeared in 28 games for the Terriers during the 2013-14 season. His only collegiate goal came on Feb. 17 against the University of New Hampshire, and he had three total assists on the season — one on Dec. 7 against Merrimack College, one on Jan. 17 versus Boston College and another Feb. 7 against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He had the only positive plus-minus on the team, with a +1.

Carrabino transferred to BU from Clarkson University and sat out the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Before arriving at BU, the 6-foot-6 blueliner played in just three games in two seasons for the Golden Knights.

No information was available regarding what Collier or Carrabino will do moving forward.

The Boston University men’s hockey team has added yet another piece to its already impressive recruiting class for the upcoming 2014-15 campaign, as a source confirmed to the Boston Hockey Blog that NTDP U18 defenseman Brandon Fortunato has committed to Boston University.

Fortunato took to Twitter to confirm the news of his upcoming arrival to Commonwealth Avenue.

Proud to announce my commitment to play college hockey at Boston University #Terriers #

Boston University men’s hockey coach David Quinn had a young group of players this year, but Tuesday morning at Masconomet Regional High School in Topsfield, his audience was even younger. Quinn spent the morning speaking with the Masco freshman class, teaching them lessons on leadership and dealing with adversity.

Quinn spoke of his experiences, including some of the things he has learned in his coaching career as well as the adversity he faced when his hockey career was cut short due to hemophilia. Students then had a chance to ask Quinn questions, including, “What advice can you give to aspiring leaders?”

“The number one thing, I think, is obviously ‘When you see a wrong, right it,’” Quinn said to the high school freshman. “But it’s how you right it. I talk to our captains about this all the time. Your delivery is everything.”

Quinn, who preaches the importance of his players being well-rounded student-athletes, encouraged the same thing to the high school freshmen. He spoke in particular about the importance of treating people properly and not bullying others.

“Most people know right from wrong,” Quinn said. “I tell our guys, ‘If you see wrong, right it. But right it in a way that everybody can understand it and don’t do it in a confrontational way.”

The reinforcements are finally on their way for the Boston University men’s hockey team, as six recruits have signed their national letters of intent to join the squad in 2014-15.

The incoming freshmen include three forwards in Jack Eichel, J.J. Piccinich and Chase Phelps, as well as three defensemen in Brandon Hickey, Brien Diffley and Johnathan MacLeod. At least two more recruits are expected to join the team at a later date.

Eichel, a Chelmsford native, is expected to be the prize of the class. The 6-foot-1, 190 pound 17-year-old is a point-producing machine, as he dominated with the United States National Development Program this past year. He totaled 45 points in 24 games at the USHL level, 87 points in 53 games at the U-18 level and 10 points in seven games while leading that U-18 squad to a world championship on Sunday.

“I know Eichel is a guy who has elite talent,” said BU coach David Quinn. “You talk to anybody that watches him, he makes the game look easy. He has got incredible vision, he competes around the puck, he is a unique talent. He is incredibly strong, hockey strong. He is a great guy, he is a great kid and he makes everybody around him better.

“He might be the difference-maker in all of those one-goal games we lost last year.”

Boston University Athletics marketed the 2013-14 season as a “New Era” for BU Athletics.

Along with other changes throughout the department, the university hired a new bench boss for its men’s hockey team for the first time in 40 years. As the new-season excitement wore off and the slogan lost its shimmer, though, it became clear that the first year of this era was going to be a transition.

The season started off well enough for the Terriers (10-21-4, 5-12-3 Hockey East) and first-year head coach David Quinn. In its opening weekend, BU defeated the University of Massachusetts and the College of the Holy Cross at Agganis Arena.

After starting its season with a 3-1 stretch at home, the Terriers took to the road. In what became a trend over the course of the year, however, BU dropped both away games — one against the University of Michigan and the other against Michigan State University. At the time, the bigger issue was that after a tight game against Michigan (18-13-4), the team derailed against Michigan State (11-18-7). The Terriers took a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period, but with five minutes left in the game, gave up three goals in what was ultimately a 3-1 loss.

Quinn showed frustration with his team after the game, calling its performance “youth hockey” and adding that the team should “be ready to practice on Tuesday.” BU took 13 penalties on the weekend and was outshot 77-46.

“Without our goaltending, God knows where we’d be right now,” Quinn said. “They’re allowing us to grow and find our way, win some hockey games in the process.”